POST OFFICE REGULATIONS.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 112, 27 April 1844, Page 30

POST OFFICE REGULATIONS.

Every one in. this colony must have felt the hardship of the Post Office regulations which came into operation in November last. It had been the custom previously to transmit newspapers through the post-office free of charge, nor was any gratuity paid to masters of vessels for conveying them from place to place. A minute of the Lords of the Treasury has put an end to this arrangement, which was beneficial to the colonist without being considered oppressive by commanders of vessels ; and the same custom still prevails in the neighbouring colonies. Now, however, a gratuity of a penny is paid for every newspaper brought into or sent out of the colony ; and as not more than one-half of those sent are taken up by the parties to whom they are addressed, the revenue is of course a considerable loser by this very silly arrangement. The gross injustice of the case has, however, to be stated. Not only have we to pay for newspapers brought into the colony, but we have also to pay for those which are seat out; while our friends in Sydney and adjacent places post their papers and receive ours free of all charge. Another beautiful feature in this system is that letters and newspapers for ports other than those at "which a vessel first touches are charged double the usual rates. Seeing the immense reduction which was recently made in the rates of postage in England, we cannot impute this retrograde movement to anything but oversight, as it would be difficult to understand why New Zealand should be singled out for so obnoxious an exception. The following article from a recent number of the Colonial Magazine, show that the post-office authorities are ready to listen to suggestions for the perfecting of the system, and <ye hope some friend of tins colony will take the subject up: — It is not very long since that a letter could not be forwarded from Bombay to the Australian colonies, without a prepayment at the office of 44d.; this effectually prevented all persons, who had not an ajjent at the Indian settlement, from forwarding letters or newspapers by the overland Indian wiaiL This, in point of fact, was the doing of the post-office authorities appointed by the East India Company, which appear a distinct authority from that of the imperial post-office. Lord Lowther entered into some negotiation with the Company, and the regulation was rescinded. Every step that this nobleman takes for rendering postal communication regular, rapid, and cheap, merits the thanks of his countrymen ; and, although in this instance it ie not likely to be of extended benefit, because it is very seldom that there is a conveyance from Bombay to Australia, still that does not diminish the merit due to bis lordship for what he has done. But, notwithstanding the regulation ba§ been rescinded, as it regards letters leaving Bombay, it is to be feared this is not the case with letters addressed to England via that settlement ; which is much, more important, since the emigrant vessels frequently leave Australia a&d New Zealand fox Calcutta and Bombay, carrying letters and newspapers with them, which, it appears, will not be forwarded, unless addressed to an agent in the Indian settlements, which perhaps is not the case with ten persons in all the Australian settlements. Thus, the hope of the Indian postoffice authorities receiving a small prepayment, deprives the imperial post-office of all revenue which might be derived by the conveyance of letters and newspapers by the emigrant ships that go in ballast from Australia to. the Company's settlements, and thence by the overland mail by way of Bombay, Suez, and Alexandria. The following paragraph is copied from the Wellington Gazette of the Bth of April : —

" Letters by w^y of Bombay. — Notice'!* hereby given, that by a notification from the post-office at Bombay, parties we chargeable with an additional postage of 4id. fflr every single letter, aod lid. for every newspaper, forwarded for England by way of that Presidency ; such additional postage, to be remitted with th« letters and newspaper*, in order to secure due transmission to their- destination; and parties are requested to'markthfinW'Falmouth, or via Marseilles, according to the route they desire them to be transmitted. " James Raymond, Ppstmaster-Gefler^T,"

But, whether poatmaster-general of Bombay, Calcutta, or of GjoVernor Hohson's Auckland, some hundred fijiles from Cook's Straits,- is not mentioned; but, wherever may be the domicile of Mr. yQStmaster- General Raymond, his notice is eminently pisrjny-wise, but pound foolish ; and it is to be hoped that the real imperial i postmaster-general will direct him to give a directly contrary notice. ' So much for postal communication between NeW Zealand nod Europe via Bombay; but now for a fact a litje nearer home. The writer of this lately received v ja Glasgow Herald newspaper in France, and wishing to return it to a friend i n .London, took it to a French post-office, .addressed, under band, and asked what \va« to be paid to frW it to its dei-

-itination; and was asked a sous, which was paid ; but, oh it's arrival, a demand, was made on the person to wHom it was ' addressed^ of 3s. 4d.,;i of course it was refused; but, upon hearing of it, the sender wrote to the London post-office, and received the followipg official Answer : — : „ " General Post-Office, 9th September, 1843. ' " Sir— ln replylto'yourilejter of the Ist instant, 1 I beg to inform' >y oil' that <tfae charge upon the newspaper to which you allude was correct. ° Any, English newspaper, upoa being posted in 1 a- foreign country, addressed to England; is liable to letterrate of pottage, according to its weight. " I am,' sir; your 6bedient servant, ' . " Jas.; Campbell, yro Secretary." What is 'the cbnsequeince ?- The English stamp-office 4 loses, for the' future, a newspaper stamp. This, wittC a great number, is pound foolish; but' tb^ penny wisdom is not,' gamed, for -the person who. Would gladly have paid the usual newspapqr-ppstage 'refuses the heavy charge, and |the ; post-office loses this species of revenue, which,, with common, sense, it might have derived. <The French post-office carried jthq paper in question fora sous. Redress in (this instance requires* therefore, no negotiation between the- respective' authorities of the twocountries, but simply a< regulation from our own post-office, that 'a newspaper; arriving at Dover in a foreign 'bag shall net be charged more than! a newspaper* put into the post-office in Dover. But the simplest way to secure revenue to' the imperial office Would he that, as far as the United Kingdom is concerned, it should travel' free, if "it bor&the Queen's portrait.' If this were the case, persons abroad would take care to furnish themselves with these, stamps; and this would] be. pound wisdom, substituted not for penny wisdom, for that is. not attained* but for what is a much juster term, " block folly ;" for, as dt is, communication 'is stopped.;' and, 'although „ France is content with. a sous, England gains nothing. " ■ s <